Lawn-trimmer.



No. 787,214. PATBNTBD APR. 11, 1905.

J. H. E. PETERS. LAWN TRIMMER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2E), l904. Num" 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATBNTED APR. ll, 1905.

J. H. E. PETERS.

LAWN TRIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29.1004.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES 'Patented April 1i, 1905.

JOHAN H. E. PETERS, OF \VAU\VA'l`OS;-\, lYlSCONSlN.

LAWN-TRINIMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,214, dated April 11, 1905.

Application filed August 29, 1904. Serial No. 222,487.

Be it known that l, Joitxx H. F.. lirrinzs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the town of ll'auwatosa, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \\'isconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-rlfrilnniers; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

A\lv invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts hereinafter particularly set forth with reference to the accompanying' drawings and subsequently claimed, the object of the invention being' to provide simple, economical, and ellicient lawil-trimmingl machines.

Figure l of the d rawings represents a partlysectional side. elevation of a lawn-trimmer in accordance with my invention as organized for cutting grass borders; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal central section of the machine; Fig. l, a plan view of the machine, partly in horizontal section. having' the side bars thereof partly broken away; Fig'. l, a transverse section of the machine, this view being' indicated by lines i -l in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5,21 side elevation of a partl \'broken fragment of the machine. the same being that portion of said machine to which an attachment is connected.

lxeferring by letters to the drawings, A indicatesl each of a pair of suitably-curved side bars having' their rear ends bent inward at right angles and likewise bent toward the rear to form ears between which a handle A' is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured. .lournaled at its ends in the side bars is a shaft B, and fast on this shaft midway of its length is a driving sprocket-wheel C, the hub of which is toothed at its ends to forni ratchets D, engaged by spring-controlled pawls lil, that extend through the hubs of traction-wheels F, loose on the shaft between the sprocket-wheel and said side bars. The pawl-and-ratchet mechanism is such that the sprocket-wheel C turns in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 when the machine is pushed ahead of the operator.

-letween the side bars in front of the wheels aforesaid is a plate having its forward end longitudinally recessed to form a series of tapei-ed shear-lingers 1I, the edges of which are preferably serrated, and this plate is provided with stainlards l'li, to which said side bars are fastened by screws or other suitable means. The plate (lr and stainlards lil thereon are recessed to obtain clearance for supporting'- wheels l, that are loose on an axle J, made fast to said plate, under the saine and caught in the side bars A aforesaid, these bars, said plate, and standards constituting what is hereinafter' termed the frame of the machine..

Supported at its ends in the standards l^l is an arbor K, and loose on the arbor is a hub common to a central driven sprocket-wheel L and a pair of wiper-wheels M, these wiperwheels being set to operate alternately upon lateral arinsf of a rocker N on a pivot-stud f/ in screw coninction with the rear portion of the plate (i, central of the same, a relative position of wiper-wheel teeth beingshown by dotted lines in Fig. Il. The narrow end of the rocker oscillates between stops /l upon the plate (i, and these stops are preferably antifriction-rollers loose on screw-pins in connection with said plate. A l,)o\\'-spring P is engaged by a flanged washer f, set in a recess in the pivot-stud y, and a screw j, engaging' said `stud, has the head thereof in opposition to the washer. The ends of the spring are provided with apertures engaged by lugs of the rocker, and said rocker is riveted or otherwise fastened on the tang of a forwardlyprojecting blade Q in the form of a triangular plate having a triangular opening, the longitudinal cutting' edges of this plate and opening therein being preferably serrated. '.llie arrangement of the blade is such that it oscillates on the recessed forward end of the plate (at, and the power of the spring l.) is such that said blade is held in frictional contact with said plate.

A link belt R is stretched on the sprocketwheels C l., and the slack of the belt is supported by a roller S on a spindle '.l, mounted in sides of the machine-frame. 'lhe relative size of the sprocket-wheels is such vthat the one, L, is d riven at a comparativelyhigh speed, andthe wiper-wheels M operate on the rockerarms fte eect oscillatibn ofthe blade Q, that cuts grass caught between the lingers of the plate when the machine is moved forward on its wheels F I aforesaid. The machine being moved rearward, the pawls E slip on the ratchets D to prevent operation of the link belt and sprocket-wheel gearing above specilied. By means of the machine as thus far described the operator can cut close to houses, monuments, fences, and other objects, said machine being designed to cut where it is impossible to utilize an ordinary lawn-mower.

Detachably secured to one of the standards H by screws m or other suitable means is the tang of a shear-blade U in the form of a runner, by which the forward portion of the machine is elevated. Loose on a lateral-stud??J ofthe tang of the blade U is the outwardly-extended hub p of another shear-blade V, opposed by spiral coils of a spring W, held under tension on said hub by a washer fr on a screw s engaging said stud. One end of the spring is caught on a lug p of the shearblade V, and its other end is caught under the head of a pivot-screw t, connecting a lever X with the tang of the shear-blade U, this lever being provided with a segmental slot engaged by another screw aset in said tang. A depending projection v of the lever bears on the forward portion of the shear-blade V, and an arm w of said lever is arranged to be operated upon by one of the wiper-wheels M, above specified. Downwardmovement of the shear-blade causes theblade V to rock on its pivot and cut grass caught between it and the blade U, the spring W being then contracted. The striker-wheel having cleared the leverarm w, the spring W expands to return the blade V and lever X to normal position.

The detachable shear mechanism is employed in connection with the otherwise complete machine to cut grass along borders of lawns and flower-beds.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Alawn-trimmer comprisingawheel-supported frame embodying a plate longitudinally recessed to form a series of forwardly-extending tapered shear-lingers, a triangular shearblade in pivotal connection with the plate and arranged over the fingers of same, a rocker fast on the blade and provided with lateral arms, a bow-spring arranged to have its ends bear on the rocker, wiper-wheels `arranged to op erate alternately on' the rocker-arms, and means for operating the wiper-wheels when the machine has forward travel.

2. A lawn-trimmer comprising a frame embodying a plate having forwardly-extended tapered shear-fingers, a rear shaft journaled atits ends in the sides of the frame, a sprocketwheel fast on the shaft, traction-wheels loose on said shaft and having slip-clutch connection with the hub of the sprocket-wheel to turn the latter when the machine has forward travel, supporting-wheels on a front axle of the machine, a triangular shear-blade in pivotal connection with said plate over the fingers of same, a rocker fast on the blade and provided with lateral arms, a bow-spring arranged to have its ends bear on the rocker, a forward arbor supported in the machineframe,a sprocket-wheel and wiper-wheels having a common hub loose on the arbor, the wiper-wheels being set to operate alternately on the rocker-arms, a link belt stretched on the sprocket-wheels, and a roller arranged to support slack of the belt.

3. A lawn-trimmer comprising a wheel-supported frame having forwardly-extending tapered shear-lingers, a pivotal triangular shearblade over the fingers, means holding the blade in frictional contact with said fingers, an attachment consisting of a runner in the form of ashear-blade having a tang for detachable connection with the machine-frame at one side of the same, a spring-controlled shear-blade and lever in pivotal connection with said tang, the lever being segmentally slotted on a guide and having a depending projection opposing the latter shear-blade, a rocker mounted on the triangular shear-blade, wiper-wheels operative in conjunction with arms of the rocker, an arm extending from said lever in the path of teeth of one of the wiper-wheels, and means for actuating said wheels when the machine has forward travel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingl have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in

the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHAN H. E. PETERS.

Vitnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, GEO. G. FELBER. 

